virtual relationships

• A virtual relationship refers to any relationship conducted via technology. They are also referred to as CMC relationships [computer mediated communication] they are different from the traditional face-to-face relationships we have.
• Non-verbal paralanguage may be more important than the words themselves. For example: body posture, eye gaze etc 

  On the phone, there are still paralanguage signals such as pauses and tone of voice which can communicate intention. However, all non verbal communication is lost on the internet, meaning its dependent only upon words and nothing else. 

  However, now that technology has been around for a long time, there has been development of paralanguage within itself. E.g. emojis, abbreviations etc 
• Two theories of self disclosure in online relationships

  1. Reduced cues theory
  2. Hyperpersonal model 
• Reduced cue theory-  Sproull and Kiesler 

  • Cues such as physical appearance or cues to our emotional state are lacking in CMC 
  • This can lead to a person losing their identity and acting in a way they wouldn’t normally 
  • So, often CMC involves aggressive and blunt communication which leads to a reluctance in self disclosure
  • Therefore CMC relationships are less effective than face to face ones because they lack the cues we normally depend on ftf interactions and can feel impersonal 
• Walther and Tidwell point out that people in online interactions use other cues, such as style and timingg of their messages. For instance, taking time to reply to a social network status update is often interpreted as a more intimate act than an immediate response. CMC communications can often have subtle nuances just as much as face to face ones. Abbreviations and emojis are used as effective substitutes for facial expressions and tone of voice
• Walther  - the hyperpersonal model

  Online relationships can be more personal and involve greater disclosure than ftf ones 

  This is because CMC relationships can develop quickly as disclosure happens earlier, and once established they are more intense and intimate. In addition to this it also means that they can end more quickly because the high excitement level of interactions is not matched by the level of trust between relationship partners.
• Cooper and Sportolari - the boom and bust phenomenon 

  According to the hyperpersonal model, a key feature of self disclosure is that the sender of a message has more time to manipulate their online image than they would in a ftf situation. Wlather calls this selective self presentation 

  People online have more control over what they disclose and what cues to send. This means it's much easier to manipulate self-disclosure to promote intimacy in CMC relationships, by self presenting in a positive and idealised way
• Bargh points out that this is rather like the strangers on the train affect in ftf relationships. Anonymity increases self disclosure and makes CMC relationships hyperpersonal. When you're aware that other people do not know your identity, you feel less accountable for your actions and behaviour. So you may well disclose more about yourself to a stranger than to even your most intimate partner.
• A gate is any obstacle to the formation of a relationship. There is an absence of gating in virtual relationships. Face to face interaction is said to be gated because it involves many features that can interfere with the early development of a relationship. This may include physical unattractiveness, a stammer, social anxiety, age, physical disability. These do not gate a virtual relationship as they are not face to face and these gates are therefore not present.
• Mckenna and Bargh 

  An advantage of virtual relationships is the absence of gating. This means that the relationship can develop to a point where self disclosure becomes ore frequent and deeper. This absence of gating allows an online relationship to get off the ground in a way that is less likely to happen face to face. Absence of gating works by refocusing attention on self-disclosure and away from one might considered superficial and distracting features. so , potential partners are more interested in what each other are saying rather than what they look or sound like.
• The absence of gating also means people are free to create online identities they could never manage face to face